UU You
Sermon given at the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church
by The Rev. Craig M. Nowak
June 17, 2018
It was one of those perfect summer days. Bright, warm sunlight shining down from a brilliant blue sky. Behind me a lake, its surface animated by a light breeze, sparkled jewel like… as mesmerizing and mysterious as any fabled gem. Before me, seated in chairs arranged in rows on a green lawn, twenty people or so, dressed in summer attire, listened as I, dressed in linen pants and short sleeves, introduced myself before offering the opening words.
It was the kind of day every couple hopes for for their wedding. But we were not gathered for a wedding. This was a memorial service.
In her obituary, Virginia was described as a person who lived, “with uncomplaining, selfless dignity”, possessing a, “generous, nonjudgemental manner” and who “served passionately the community of faith…”
A significant portion of the service was given to time for anyone present to offer a personal remembrance. And as person after person rose and spoke, their stories and memories sculpted a portrait of a woman who knew, as the author of our reading observed, “Faith without works is dead, but works without faith is just as lifeless.” Virginia, it seemed, was a woman who lived an authentic faith.
I share this story with you today for two reasons.
The first is there is something seriously wrong with western culture.
Study after study on religion in America reveals that what people most hunger for in their lives today is authenticity…something real in a world increasingly seen as hollow, fake, or inauthentic. This hunger is manifest in what writer Thomas Moore describes as the “emotional complaints” of our age and which show up in therapists’ and clergy offices alike. Concerns such as feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, vague depression, disillusionment about family, relationships, marriage, and other social institutions, a desire for personal fulfillment, a craving for spirituality but aversion to religion, and a loss of values. (See Moore, Care of The Soul, xvi).
The second reason I share the story of Virginia’s memorial - and just to be clear, Virginia was not a member of this church, nor was she a Unitarian Universalist -
The second reason is…
I believe authenticity is the best and most needed form of evangelism we can offer the world.
And now you may thinking, “Did he just say evangelism?” Indeed I did.
Let’s, right now, set aside any negative ideas, images or even experiences you might carry related to evangelism and get straight to the heart of it. The word evangelism comes from a Greek word meaning, “One who tells good news.” So evangelism is simply the act of telling or, if you prefer, sharing good news. Simple enough, right?
So, what is the good news of Unitarian Universalism? Well, I’m guessing we have as many responses to that question as we have people here today. And that’s okay. In fact, that in and of itself is good news!
Now…how to share it?
Some years ago, it was popular for UU’s (Unitarian Universalists) to talk about developing an “elevator speech”. That is, a succinct statement about Unitarian Universalism that could be shared with people unfamiliar with our faith. Predictably, people struggled with this. Our faith has a long and complicated history. Further, being a creed-less, theologically diverse faith does not lend itself well to the easy articulation of common beliefs, the meaning or purpose of rituals and so forth. And there’s another problem with the “elevator speech” approach. Done poorly it becomes less about sharing good news and more about perfecting a sales pitch. Which often comes across as, well, inauthentic.
Which brings us back to our call to worship, those oft quoted words of Willam Ellery Channing, considered the father of Unitarianism in America, “May your life preach more loudly than your lips.”
I imagine Channing would have been be baffled by the idea of an elevator speech. For his words remind us an elevator speech is no substitute for living your faith authentically, that is by being UU You.
And in a world where people hunger for authenticity, what better way to respond than by living our faith authentically?
So how do we do that? I mean, we can’t manufacture authenticity. That would be inauthentic. But authenticity doesn’t just happen either.
It occurred to me as I was writing this, that I went back and forth over some word choices in describing the way I experienced the remembrances and stories at Virginia’s memorial. Initially I wrote the stories painted an image. Intuitively that didn’t feel quite right. After some reflection I changed it to read, their stories and memories “sculpted a portrait” of a woman who lived an authentic faith.
Now, when we think of sculpting something or of sculpture, what comes to mind? Well, at the very least, we’re usually talking about something that’s three dimensional rather than say, a painting, which is two dimensional. And when we look at a portrait, what are we looking at? A portrait is usually a likeness of an actual person rather than a non-specific image.
So when we speak of living our faith authentically, we are talking about an approach that is multi-dimensional and grounded in our uniqueness or individuality, expressed through the life we live.
This means an authentically lived faith is more than an identity or label we apply to ourselves. For anyone can simply claim to be one religion or another. And as members of the “holier than thou” caucus scattered throughout the government regularly demonstrate, faith identity alone is meaningless. Indeed, the Christian scriptures warn, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-16) Further, our faith label or identity is sometimes the last, rather than first dimension of faith we engage.
Indeed, far more important is the exploration and study of our chosen faith’s core values and teachings, their sources and the evolving implication they carry for our lives and time. This is the sometimes overlooked or underdeveloped part of faith in the modern age where the tendency is to take a buffet approach to religion and spirituality, excitedly or perhaps anxiously sampling widely, but rarely savoring deeply. Without some depth however, we’re often left feeling unsatisfied or without enough to sustain us through our challenges.
Jonipher Kwong gives voice to another dimension of an authentically lived faith in our reading today noting, “They say faith without works is dead.” “They” is James, or more accurately, the Epistle of James, chapter 2. Now, works is often understood as righteous action. And for a lot of UU’s this means social justice work. Indeed, as the writer of James’ asks, “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” (James 2:15-17) But works encompasses more than justice oriented action alone. More fully, it is the practice of living our faith outside of our heads and beyond the security of the church sanctuary. In other words, to, “Go out into the world…” That is why service and reaching out to the larger world and community is part of BUUC’s (Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church) mission and affirmation.
This can be a real challenge. In one of his books, the Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield talks about the frustration and disappointment he experienced early on transitioning back into “ordinary life” after spending an extended period of time in study and meditation. It seemed a genuine shock that all his study and meditation didn’t lead to an uncomplicated, problem-free life outside the monastery. The same thing can happen to us as we go out into the world…and find the world doesn’t always share or appreciate our vision. We’re going to need reinforcement and refinement. Which beings us to another dimension of an authentically lived faith, reflection.
This dimension of faith is hard to access absent an experience of works or an attempt at living our faith, for it is from the living of our faith that the material for reflection is generated. Ideally, reflection is done both in solitude and in community. This is why spirituality without religion doesn’t often work as people hope. Worship is a weekly opportunity in which to engage in both personal and communal reflection.
Reflecting on their experiences living their faith, Jack Kornfield and Jonipher Kwong both came to see the effect their attachments, strivings and narrow focus, were having on their spiritual lives. From this realization emerged Kwong’s crucial insight, “I still believe faith without works is dead. But works without faith is just as lifeless.” Which is to say the expression of our faith, - the life we live- , must ultimately and necessarily be grounded in something deeper than causes, creeds or personal achievements.
The late theologian Howard Thurman understood this and thus counseled, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Now, Thurman is not talking about figuring out our personal preferences. This is not something we think our way to. He is talking about the discovery of our individuality, or what some call our true or sacred self, emerging from the Ground of our being and which starts to unfold when we give attention to our inner lives. William Ellery Channing put it this way, “Every human being is intended to have a character of his/her own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do.”
This is why perhaps well intended guide-phrases like, “What would Jesus do?” or for UU’s turning only to the seven principles to figure out the “right” thing to do often misses the mark. An authentically lived faith is not an imitation game. It is not about perfection or earning the praise of others. Neither Jesus nor any other spiritual or religious leader worth their salt, past, present or future, wants you to be them. They know you are called only to be you. As our religious forebear, Ralph Waldo Emerson, declared, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Friends, people are hungry. And the world’s response has been to pathologize hunger. In a recent USA Today article, columnist Kirsten Powers observes, “We should stop telling people who yearn for a deeper meaning in life that they have an illness…Instead, we need to help people craft lives that are more meaningful and built on a firmer foundation than personal success.”
Put another way, we need to offer, support and share something that is multi-dimensional, encompassing an identity deepened and refined by study, practice and reflection, grounded in our unique, sacred self and expressed through the life we live. In other words, an authentically lived faith. UU you.
May it be so.
Amen and Blessed Be
Sermon given at the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church
by The Rev. Craig M. Nowak
June 17, 2018
It was one of those perfect summer days. Bright, warm sunlight shining down from a brilliant blue sky. Behind me a lake, its surface animated by a light breeze, sparkled jewel like… as mesmerizing and mysterious as any fabled gem. Before me, seated in chairs arranged in rows on a green lawn, twenty people or so, dressed in summer attire, listened as I, dressed in linen pants and short sleeves, introduced myself before offering the opening words.
It was the kind of day every couple hopes for for their wedding. But we were not gathered for a wedding. This was a memorial service.
In her obituary, Virginia was described as a person who lived, “with uncomplaining, selfless dignity”, possessing a, “generous, nonjudgemental manner” and who “served passionately the community of faith…”
A significant portion of the service was given to time for anyone present to offer a personal remembrance. And as person after person rose and spoke, their stories and memories sculpted a portrait of a woman who knew, as the author of our reading observed, “Faith without works is dead, but works without faith is just as lifeless.” Virginia, it seemed, was a woman who lived an authentic faith.
I share this story with you today for two reasons.
The first is there is something seriously wrong with western culture.
Study after study on religion in America reveals that what people most hunger for in their lives today is authenticity…something real in a world increasingly seen as hollow, fake, or inauthentic. This hunger is manifest in what writer Thomas Moore describes as the “emotional complaints” of our age and which show up in therapists’ and clergy offices alike. Concerns such as feelings of emptiness, meaninglessness, vague depression, disillusionment about family, relationships, marriage, and other social institutions, a desire for personal fulfillment, a craving for spirituality but aversion to religion, and a loss of values. (See Moore, Care of The Soul, xvi).
The second reason I share the story of Virginia’s memorial - and just to be clear, Virginia was not a member of this church, nor was she a Unitarian Universalist -
The second reason is…
I believe authenticity is the best and most needed form of evangelism we can offer the world.
And now you may thinking, “Did he just say evangelism?” Indeed I did.
Let’s, right now, set aside any negative ideas, images or even experiences you might carry related to evangelism and get straight to the heart of it. The word evangelism comes from a Greek word meaning, “One who tells good news.” So evangelism is simply the act of telling or, if you prefer, sharing good news. Simple enough, right?
So, what is the good news of Unitarian Universalism? Well, I’m guessing we have as many responses to that question as we have people here today. And that’s okay. In fact, that in and of itself is good news!
Now…how to share it?
Some years ago, it was popular for UU’s (Unitarian Universalists) to talk about developing an “elevator speech”. That is, a succinct statement about Unitarian Universalism that could be shared with people unfamiliar with our faith. Predictably, people struggled with this. Our faith has a long and complicated history. Further, being a creed-less, theologically diverse faith does not lend itself well to the easy articulation of common beliefs, the meaning or purpose of rituals and so forth. And there’s another problem with the “elevator speech” approach. Done poorly it becomes less about sharing good news and more about perfecting a sales pitch. Which often comes across as, well, inauthentic.
Which brings us back to our call to worship, those oft quoted words of Willam Ellery Channing, considered the father of Unitarianism in America, “May your life preach more loudly than your lips.”
I imagine Channing would have been be baffled by the idea of an elevator speech. For his words remind us an elevator speech is no substitute for living your faith authentically, that is by being UU You.
And in a world where people hunger for authenticity, what better way to respond than by living our faith authentically?
So how do we do that? I mean, we can’t manufacture authenticity. That would be inauthentic. But authenticity doesn’t just happen either.
It occurred to me as I was writing this, that I went back and forth over some word choices in describing the way I experienced the remembrances and stories at Virginia’s memorial. Initially I wrote the stories painted an image. Intuitively that didn’t feel quite right. After some reflection I changed it to read, their stories and memories “sculpted a portrait” of a woman who lived an authentic faith.
Now, when we think of sculpting something or of sculpture, what comes to mind? Well, at the very least, we’re usually talking about something that’s three dimensional rather than say, a painting, which is two dimensional. And when we look at a portrait, what are we looking at? A portrait is usually a likeness of an actual person rather than a non-specific image.
So when we speak of living our faith authentically, we are talking about an approach that is multi-dimensional and grounded in our uniqueness or individuality, expressed through the life we live.
This means an authentically lived faith is more than an identity or label we apply to ourselves. For anyone can simply claim to be one religion or another. And as members of the “holier than thou” caucus scattered throughout the government regularly demonstrate, faith identity alone is meaningless. Indeed, the Christian scriptures warn, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-16) Further, our faith label or identity is sometimes the last, rather than first dimension of faith we engage.
Indeed, far more important is the exploration and study of our chosen faith’s core values and teachings, their sources and the evolving implication they carry for our lives and time. This is the sometimes overlooked or underdeveloped part of faith in the modern age where the tendency is to take a buffet approach to religion and spirituality, excitedly or perhaps anxiously sampling widely, but rarely savoring deeply. Without some depth however, we’re often left feeling unsatisfied or without enough to sustain us through our challenges.
Jonipher Kwong gives voice to another dimension of an authentically lived faith in our reading today noting, “They say faith without works is dead.” “They” is James, or more accurately, the Epistle of James, chapter 2. Now, works is often understood as righteous action. And for a lot of UU’s this means social justice work. Indeed, as the writer of James’ asks, “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” (James 2:15-17) But works encompasses more than justice oriented action alone. More fully, it is the practice of living our faith outside of our heads and beyond the security of the church sanctuary. In other words, to, “Go out into the world…” That is why service and reaching out to the larger world and community is part of BUUC’s (Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church) mission and affirmation.
This can be a real challenge. In one of his books, the Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield talks about the frustration and disappointment he experienced early on transitioning back into “ordinary life” after spending an extended period of time in study and meditation. It seemed a genuine shock that all his study and meditation didn’t lead to an uncomplicated, problem-free life outside the monastery. The same thing can happen to us as we go out into the world…and find the world doesn’t always share or appreciate our vision. We’re going to need reinforcement and refinement. Which beings us to another dimension of an authentically lived faith, reflection.
This dimension of faith is hard to access absent an experience of works or an attempt at living our faith, for it is from the living of our faith that the material for reflection is generated. Ideally, reflection is done both in solitude and in community. This is why spirituality without religion doesn’t often work as people hope. Worship is a weekly opportunity in which to engage in both personal and communal reflection.
Reflecting on their experiences living their faith, Jack Kornfield and Jonipher Kwong both came to see the effect their attachments, strivings and narrow focus, were having on their spiritual lives. From this realization emerged Kwong’s crucial insight, “I still believe faith without works is dead. But works without faith is just as lifeless.” Which is to say the expression of our faith, - the life we live- , must ultimately and necessarily be grounded in something deeper than causes, creeds or personal achievements.
The late theologian Howard Thurman understood this and thus counseled, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Now, Thurman is not talking about figuring out our personal preferences. This is not something we think our way to. He is talking about the discovery of our individuality, or what some call our true or sacred self, emerging from the Ground of our being and which starts to unfold when we give attention to our inner lives. William Ellery Channing put it this way, “Every human being is intended to have a character of his/her own; to be what no others are, and to do what no other can do.”
This is why perhaps well intended guide-phrases like, “What would Jesus do?” or for UU’s turning only to the seven principles to figure out the “right” thing to do often misses the mark. An authentically lived faith is not an imitation game. It is not about perfection or earning the praise of others. Neither Jesus nor any other spiritual or religious leader worth their salt, past, present or future, wants you to be them. They know you are called only to be you. As our religious forebear, Ralph Waldo Emerson, declared, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Friends, people are hungry. And the world’s response has been to pathologize hunger. In a recent USA Today article, columnist Kirsten Powers observes, “We should stop telling people who yearn for a deeper meaning in life that they have an illness…Instead, we need to help people craft lives that are more meaningful and built on a firmer foundation than personal success.”
Put another way, we need to offer, support and share something that is multi-dimensional, encompassing an identity deepened and refined by study, practice and reflection, grounded in our unique, sacred self and expressed through the life we live. In other words, an authentically lived faith. UU you.
May it be so.
Amen and Blessed Be